UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

REGION IX
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

Subject:

Underground Injection Control Program Inspection Report: Pineview Subdivision

By:

Eric Byous, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 9,

Ground Water Office

Objective:

This inspection was conducted under the EPA Region 9s Underground Injection
Control (UIC) Program. The purpose of the inspection was to determine the
current status of Pineview Subdivisions injection wells. This information will be
used to make a determination on PTP, Incorporateds (PTP, Inc.) level of
compliance with the Class V UIC permit NV504000001 issued to them on
September 7, 2004.

Date of Inspection: March 25, 2005

Present During Inspection:
Contact:
Leon May
Vice President, PTP, Incorporated (mailing address)
P.O. Box 188
Minden, NV XXXX
(775) 265-0594
149 N. Highway 395 (Pineview Subdivision address)
Gardnerville, NV 89410
Regulatory Contact:
Eric Byous
EPA Region 9 (WTR-9)
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 972-3531
Injection Wells Inspected:
1)
Original Disposal Field B
2)
New Disposal Field B
3)
Disposal Field A

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I. Background
The mission of the UIC program is to protect public health by preventing the
contamination of underground sources of drinking water. This is accomplished mainly through
the inspection and management of wells that inject fluid below the ground surface, and ensuring
the injection does not result in ground water contamination. To clarify, a well is essentially any
dug hole or well that is deeper than it is wide or a subsurface fluid infiltration system (such as a
drainfield). Drainfields that dispose of the effluent from septic tanks, sewage treatment facilities,
lagoons, etc. with the capacity to treat the waste of at least 20 people are considered community
drainfields and are regulated under the UIC regulations as Class 5 injection wells. Per 40 Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR) 144.25 Class 5 well owners can be required to apply for, and
adhere to the requirements established in, an operating permit.
Pineview Subdivision (Pineview) is located on allotted land near the Washoe
Reservation in Douglas County, Nevada. PTP, Incorporated was issued a Notice of Violation
(NOV) on February 9, 2005 for failing to comply with multiple permit conditions (enclosed).
The deficient conditions noted in the NOV had not been addressed as of the date of this
inspection. The most critical issue of the NOV was that no injection activities were allowed at
the Pineview Subdivision as of March 1, 2005.
In the past, wastewater has surfaced at both Disposal Field A and Original Disposal
Field B (defined in the next section of the report). To remedy the immediate problem, PTP,
Inc. expanded Disposal Field A and placed a concrete barrier at the base of Original Disposal
Field B.

II. Overall Analysis

1)

As of the inspection date, Pineview Subdivision consists of 124 single family

homes.

2)

Original Disposal Field B is currently injecting wastewater. Some of the

wastewater from Original Disposal Field B is causing a public health risk by
surfacing and/or flowing underground west toward the stormwater catch basin
near Pineview Subdivisions entrance.

III. Facility Inspections

Original Disposal Field B
Observations:
Original Disposal Field B is located at the entrance of Pineview Subdivision at
the southwest quadrant of the Ray May Way and XXX intersection near the
mailboxes. A strong smell of wastewater was evidenced around Original
Disposal Field B. Areas of the soil surface on, and immediately to the west of
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Original Disposal Field B. were saturated. Most of the soil surface around
Pineview Subdivision was dry. All of the disposal fields monitoring ports
contained standing water.
A storm water catch basin is located approximately 100 feet directly west of
Original Disposal Field B and contained standing fluid during the inspection.
The eastern bank (area nearest to Original Disposal Field B) of this catch basin
was saturated and there was a very strong smell of wastewater on the bank and
from the fluid standing in the catch basin.
Although not directly questioned on the matter, Leon May informed Eric Byous
the Original Disposal Field B wastewater system was still active.
Conclusions:
Original Disposal Field B is still actively injecting wastewater from Pineview
Subdivision homes. This wastewater is surfacing and/or flowing underground
toward the storm water catch basin. The concrete barrier at the base of Original
Disposal Field B is potentially diverting wastewater downhill toward the
stormwater catch basin (thereby preventing wastewater from flowing onto Ray
May Way).

New Disposal Field B

Observations:
New Disposal Field B is located in the southwest area of Pineview Subdivision
and has been under construction since Fall 2004. The design specifications for
New Disposal Field B are included in UIC Permit #NV504000001. All
excavation and installation activities have been completed, and electricity has
been run to the treatment units. Wastewater pumped from Disposal Field A was
present in the treatment units during the inspection, and the treatment units were
operational. Prior to the inspection, EPA had given PTP, Inc. permission to store
wastewater pumped from Original Disposal Fields A and B in New Disposal
Field Bs ttreatment units and dosing tanks (a total storage capacity of 74,000
gallons).
The valves controlling flow between the treatment units were closed. The valve
boxes in the drainfield are covered by a lid and are located at or above the soil
surface. All valve boxes contained standing water that did not appear to be
sanitary wastewater. Each leach line contained a monitoring port, and none of
the monitoring ports contained standing water.
Conclusions:
It appeared New Disposal Field B is not actively injecting wastewater from
Pineview Subdivision homes.

Disposal Field A
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Observations:
Renovation of Disposal Field A (as required under the permit) was underway
during the inspection. The new large (reportedly 9,000-gallon tank) was
installed and not yet backfilled. A hose existed from the asphalt street to
Disposal Field As dosing tank. None of the monitoring ports in Disposal Field
A contained standing water.
Conclusions:
It appeared Disposal Field A is not actively injecting wastewater from Pineview
Subdivision homes. The hose dedicated to the Disposal Field As dosing tank
indicates pumping of wastewater is occurring prior to injection.

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